


Melt Stone

by Wagyubeefy



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire
Genre: F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-12 12:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wagyubeefy/pseuds/Wagyubeefy
Summary: Elphaba is a bike riding butch escaping their old life by moving to Shiz. Glinda is a mysterious, intimidatingly hot femme that gets right under their skin, and draws them into her world.





	Melt Stone

Elphaba approached the apartment building unsurely. The doors were glass, and they could see there was no elevator, only stairs. They unlocked the door, stepping into the tiny entryway, and peered up. Six flights, they guessed. They glanced back at the boxes sitting outside.

They hefted the boxes up to apartment twelve two at a time, piling them up around the door. They nodded apologetically as a couple squeezed past them to climb further up into the complex, eyeing them critically. It's about the welcome they'd expected.

Once they were all up the stairs, Elphaba unlocked the door and ferried them into their room. Elphaba's housemate was out, to their relief. They hadn't met yet; they'd gotten leased via the landlord. They went about setting up their room. They cooked themself a frozen meal they'd picked up on the ride over. They'd do groceries tomorrow.

There'd been a lot of unfamiliar brands in the supermarket, which was huge. They'd found one that sold in Munchkinland; the same brand their mother had prepared when they were younger. Sausages with thick brown gravy and grits.

Shiz was nothing like Nest Hardings.

* * *

Elphaba didn't meet their housemate until the next day. First thing in the morning, they collided in the kitchen. Elphaba was relieved their sleeping shirt wasn't too tight about their chest, but regretted the boxers.

Their housemate was dressed as if ready for a night out, her face done to the nines. She must've been out all night. She blinked at Elphaba, and looked them over with confusion. "Who are you?"

"Just moved in." They cleared their throat. "Elphaba."

"Oh! Oz above. The landlord didn't warn me. I'm Shenshen." She scrutinized Elphaba, and this was a familiar expression to them. Confusion, discomfort - but where would she start?

"Are you a man or a woman?"

Elphaba supposed she'd gone with that since it was more vital to her safety. "Not a man," they said shortly.

She looked relieved, and went back to whatever she was doing. Buttering toast. "That make up or something?"

"Uh, nope. Just my skin. From birth."

Shenshen peered back at them with her eyes all wide. She went back to her toast. "Well, okay then."

Elphaba filled up the kettle for tea. "Want a drink?" They asked, a sort of olive branch.

"Leave me some water and I'll make myself a coffee."

"Had a rough night?"

Shenshen looked at them with an exhaustion that seemed bone deep. "You have no idea."

* * *

Elphaba had been reclined on their bed reading when a feminine, blood curdling scream ripped through the apartment. They just about fell on their face scrabbling to get to the door, afraid they'd find someone attacking Shenshen.

What they found was Shenshen and another two people standing in the hallway, glaring fearfully at the floor. "Everything alright?" The two strangers jumped and looked at Elphaba, startled twice over.

"There's a spider, Elphaba, a  _spider!_  Oh god, it's huge!"

They moved aside as Elphaba came over to see. The spider was big - a little smaller than a palm's width - but it was venomless. Elphaba scooped it up in their hand, all business.

The three women screamed bloody murder.

"Don't-" It scuttled up their arm and into their shirt. "Fuck!" They flailed compulsively, and shoved their hand up their shirt to snatch it off their back. They opened the nearest window and tossed it out.

They leaned against the wall, and pressed their hand to their chest. "God fucking damn."

"Holy shit," Shenshen sighed with relief. "I can't believe you just picked it up. Are you fucking crazy?"

"It's a huntsman. They aren't venomous."

"Who fucking cares!" Another of the women yelled. "It's a huge spider! You need go get an exterminator in this place, Shen. I swear to God."

"It's one spider, Pfan."

The other woman was eyeing Elphaba. She was beautiful. Intimidatingly so. They pulled their shirt back down gingerly as they stalked back to their room. They were just relieved they were wearing a full length binder.

"I'm so sorry, Galinda, I swear this isn't the usual state of my place. I don't know what happened."

"It's alright." Elphaba paused around the corner of the hall at the sound of her voice. It was really nice. "Who was that? The green person?"

"Elphaba. She's my housemate."

"That was a woman?"

"Shut up, Pfannee." Elphaba smiled a little.

"Well, she  _is_  pretty weird," Shenshen said. "She never dresses feminine. And did you see her chest? Flat as a board. You gotta wonder."

"I guess." Elphaba's smile dampened at that response. They went to their room.

* * *

Shenshen came home every morning at seven. She worked nights at a local club. Sometimes Pfannee, her work colleague, came back with her, and they'd talk excitedly over coffee in the living room and fall silent whenever Elphaba appeared.

Elphaba wasn't particularly shattered that Shenshen was gossiping about them, but they did wish she'd be a bit more subtle. They'd drink tea and read on the livingroom couch, and Shenshen and her friend would become so palpably annoyed they'd finally go outside for a smoke. It gave Elphaba a little satisfaction.

At eleven, they started their shift as a kitchen hand at a local restaurant. Oceana's. They don't know how they'd gotten the job with their allergy, but they were happy to spend all day refilling friers and breading fish to make their rent. They'd learnt that the burns from hot oil weren't as bad as the burns from water, and that was good enough for them.

They spent their money on rent, and bills, and food, and gas for their bike. They read books, and cleaned, and cooked, and played games on their computer. That'd been their whole life. School had been replaced by work. It wasn't that different to them.

They felt like a hundred year old insect petrified in amber.

* * *

Galinda was over again.

She was reclined in a loveseat, bathed in sunlight coming through the windows. Her hair was a perfect shoulder-length fall of golden waves. She was dressed to kill; gun metal pumps, pink dress, a black coat she had folded over the arm of the chair. Elphaba had figured she was a colleague of Shenshen's too, dressed like that at twelve in the afternoon.

Galinda looked at Elphaba as they hovered in the hall. She smiled. "Hey."

"Hi," Elphaba said unsurely. "Visiting Shenshen?"

"She just went to bed. I still have an hour or so before I need to leave for work, so…" She glanced at the window. "I'm enjoying the sun here. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh. I assumed you worked with Shenshen."

"I do, but we have different hours."

"I see," Elphaba responded unsurely.

Galinda looked them over from head to toe. "Is that your motorbike out there?"

Elphaba smiled despite themself. "It is."

"Who do you hang out with?" She asked. "I'm sort of surprised we haven't met."

"I moved from Munchkinland a few weeks ago."

"Oh. Know anyone here?"

Elphaba flushed. "Not really."

She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "There's an event on Friday at the club where I work. You should come by. I think you'd like it."

"I'm not much of a partier," Elphaba murmured.

"Come for the people, then."

"And what sorts of people would they be?"

Galinda smiled, and it was uncomfortably knowing. "The kind of people that wear binders. Trust me, you'll fit in."

"Oh." They crossed their arms over their chest. "Your club is open at twelve in the afternoon?"

"It's always open. It's a bar, too."

Elphaba gestured at her. “And you’re dressed like that to work at a bar.”

Galinda was bemused. “Yes? What do you expect, a logo’d poloshirt?”

They uncrossed their arms. “Sorry,” they said lamely.

Galinda stared at them a moment, then shook her head as if clearing it. “It’s… fine.” She pushed herself up to standing. “I’m going to head off. You should come on Friday. Meet some people.”

Elphaba scratched the back of their head. "Yeah, maybe."

"It's at The Philosophy Club," Galinda insisted. "About ten minutes walk from here. Seriously."

They nodded. She smiled, and left.

* * *

Elphaba was as ready for a night out as they knew how to be. They were binding, packing, and dressed in their most flattering jeans and button up. They had their favourite leather jacket on for comfort's sake. They'd brushed their hair out and tied it into a little knot at the back of their head. They thought they looked okay.

They strode toward the front door. "Whoa! Where are you off to?" Shenshen asked.

They hung half out the open door. "I'm going out."

"Obviously. Where?"

"The Philosophy Club," Elphaba responded somewhat reluctantly. "Galinda invited me. Said some kind of event is happening."

"Frigays is happening," Shenshen said with a frown. "Galinda invited you?"

"Yeah." She'd invited Elphaba to the gay night? They weren't sure if they were reassured or even more anxious. "Bye." They left. Shenshen indignantly called something out to them as the door slammed.

They navigated how to get to the club with their phone. They tossed up walking or riding, and decided to ride, hoping it'd help their confidence along.

Nothing made them feel as stable or strong as sitting on their bike. They imagined it was how people felt on the backs of horses. Elphaba pressed their hand to the warm, rumbling chamber of their bike and felt it like it was the muscular shoulders of a mare, blood beating through her body the way power thrummed through its chassis. That power ran through them, until they were full of a confidence they did not naturally possess.

Elphaba pulled their bike up against the row of bikes already there. They were surprised there were so many. They were less surprised once they actually entered the bar of the Philosophy club. It was full of every sort of queer person that existed. Including Galinda, who spotted them quickly.

"Elphaba!" She curled her arms around theirs, drawing them close. They knew it was because of how packed the bar was, but they couldn't help getting flustered. "I need to get back to work, like, yesterday, but don't worry! I'm leaving you in capable hands. Crope!"

"Yes, darling!" A voice replied. Two drag queens, covered in mesh and spikes and leather made their way over, bending to kiss Galinda delicately on the cheek. "You're looking wonderful."

"Thank you. Ladies, this is Elphaba. He's - do you use he? - he's new to town. Introduce him to everyone."

"Them," Elphaba called over the sound of the bar. "I use they them."

"I'm sorry, I assumed you were a trans man!" Galinda called back.

Elphaba smiled gingerly. "I'm just butch."

Galinda glanced them over again, but this time she grinned, and had a look Elphaba hadn’t received before. They thought they might know what that look meant, but it couldn’t - not from her. She was absolutely _beautiful_. They just knew it made them nervous.

"Nice. You'll fit right in." She ran her hand down Elphaba's arm. "I need to go work. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"Good." She blew kisses to the drag queens. "Take care of them!"

"Farewell, my love!"

"My beautiful harlot!" She flipped them off as she made her way through the crowd, and they chortled. Elphaba watched Galinda go. She spoke to a woman in a small open window off the side of the bar, and slipped into a door Elphaba hadn't even noticed.

Elphaba found the drag queens watching them intently. "Interested in our beautiful friend?" One of them asked.

Elphaba blinked. "I barely know her."

"I'm sure," the other simpered. "I'm Tibbett. This is Crope. Consider us your fairy goth mothers. Would you like a drink? A dance? A hand to soothe your loneliness?"

"Leave them alone," chided Crope, clearly loving it. "Come, you must meet Boq. A fellow Munchkin butch. I can hear the accent, darling, don't look so startled!

"And Fiyero, such a fun young man."

"Fiyero! Ugh! Beautiful."

In a single night, Elphaba was drawn and integrated into their world.

* * *

"Where's Galinda?"

It was very late in the night, or very early in the morning, depending on who you asked. Elphaba was tipsy and tired and hungry. They had met upwards of eight people that had promised to be their friend and help them feel welcome. The club was almost empty now, the music lower, but still there to be danced to. As they stood at the bar between Crope and Tibbett, and had a moment to think, they'd remembered why they were here. Who they'd wanted to impress.

"She's working," Tibbett said. "But she'll be done soon. Any minute now, actually."

"What's she doing?" Elphaba asked. Crope and Tibbett eyed them.

"Working."

"Yes, I know. Doing what?"

Crope guffawed drunkenly. "Fucking, I'd think!" Elphaba was taken aback. Crope became puzzled. "You didn't know she was a sex worker?"

"Oh wow." They stared blankly ahead. "That makes a lot of sense," they said slowly. "... Kind of shocked that didn't occur to me."

“Haven’t you been living with Shenshen?” Tibbett asked incredulously. They nodded. “Gods, aren’t you sharp.” They gave him the finger, already feeling very comfortable with the two of them. It gave him a good laugh.

He looked like he was about to respond, then looked over Elphaba’s shoulder, and broke out into a grin. “Glin! Darling! We were just discussing your profession.”

Galinda joined them, throwing Tibbett a graceful, insincere smile. "Of course you were, you degenerate sluts." Crope and Tibbett cackled. "I'm hungry. I was going to go down to the burger place."

"We'll pass," Crope said, glancing at Tibbett. "It's about time we got home, hm?"

"Yes. We have slutty, degenerate things to do." Their gazes drew back to Elphaba. "But I'm sure this handsome young man would love to join you."

Elphaba arched their brow and hoped they weren't looking too flustered. "I am hungry, but I can speak for myself, thank you."

Crope and Tibbett looked at them with exasperated adoration. "Of course, sweetie. We'll leave you to your little dinner date." They went off, waving and blowing kisses suggestively.

Elphaba rubbed the back of their neck. Galinda looked at them slowly with a tight little smile. "... Sorry."

Back alone with Galinda, they lost some of their bravado. "It's okay. They were pretty fun, actually."

"Too fun for their own good," Galinda sighed tiredly. She tipped her head toward the exit. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way."

They ended up at a twenty-four hour fast food place a few blocks down called Burger Road. Elphaba didn't get the 'road'. Burger road? Like, an address? A road to transport burgers?

"I feel like it's meant to evoke an image," Galinda speculated, leaning back in the cleanest booth they'd been able to find. "A strip of shops down a road, but… they're all just burger places. A road just for burgers."

"The burger road," Elphaba announced. Galinda smiled. They gestured at the unwrapped burger in front of them. "How trashy is their food?"

"Oh, incredibly," Galinda said cheerfully. "It makes a nice, greasy treat after work, but I try to avoid going here off hours. Shiz has much better to offer. If you ever need recommendations for restaurants, let me know."

"Noted," Elphaba mumbled around a mouthful of chips. "Been to Oceana's?"

"Yeah. Their seafood isn't as fresh as Sails. Not terrible."

"I work there."

"Really?"

"I'm a kitchen hand," Elphaba said gingerly.

She grinned at them warmly. "I can see that. Sleeves rolled up, elbow deep in a bunch of dishes."

"I can't do that, actually," Elphaba said quickly. "Skin condition. I change the oil, clean... do prep sometimes."

"You work on the line?"

Elphaba shrugged. "A little. I'm used to cooking, so…" They sat up a bit. "But restaurant cooking is very different from home cooking. Much more stressful. Especially if you're making things to order, which every good restaurant does. Frankly, I'm not sure I could do that. All my experience is cooking for my family."

Galinda hummed. "Do you like to cook?"

"It's fine. Useful."

"I can't cook. Not to save my life." Galinda blushed, looking away from Elphaba. "We always had a chef at my parents house, so I never had a reason to learn. I'm not in contact with them anymore, but... I still eat out or order in pretty much every meal."

"How in Oz can you afford that?" Elphaba asked incredulously.

Galinda arched a brow, and stucked at the straw of her drink. Elphaba couldn't believe they actually found that sexy. "I'm not cheap, Miss Elphaba. People pay dearly for my attention."

Elphaba felt themself smirking. "And so they should." Galinda grinned happily at that, and Elphaba felt a little leap in their chest. They sat back, attempting to seem casual. "Do you enjoy your work? I would imagine sex work is quite a polarising profession."

"...Not really," Galinda said ponderously. "It depends why you're doing it. If you're doing it out of desperation, it's different. I chose sex work because I knew I'd be good at it. So while I don't enjoy most of the sex, I do enjoy the job itself."

"Um…" Elphaba gestured awkwardly. "Like, good at sex? Or…" Galinda laughed. Elphaba was incredibly flustered. "Sorry, that was inappropriate-"

"You're fine," Galinda said amusedly. "No. Good at pretending. Some girls come to work as their authentic self and enjoy their work, and I respect that, but I… can't do it. When I'm working, I'm playing a role." She brushed her hair behind her shoulder, gave Elphaba are winning grin. "Galinda Upland. Every man's bubbly fantasy girl."

Elphaba chuckled gently. "I see. As opposed to Galinda, the real girl."

"Glinda," she corrected. "Glinda Arduenna. Real, lesbian girl." She looked off thoughtfully. "... I like the performance, even if I don't care for the sex. The clients I see are always coming into my space. I'm always a step ahead of them, setting the tone and boundaries. It's empowering."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "... I understand that." Glinda looked at them curiously, inviting them to continue. "That's sort of how I see gender. As performative. When I perform being butch… the bike, the jacket, the attitude… it's like armour."

Glinda smiled slowly. "... That's sort of how I feel in lingerie."

Elphaba laughed disbelievingly. "I'd feel ridiculous in lingerie."

"Different strokes," Glinda said easily. "Big bikes and leather jackets are intimidating. So are confident women in lingerie."

Elphaba tried not to linger on that image. "Very true. Though, the intimidation is only part of it. Being butch is basically my gender." They tipped their head. "I mean, I'm nonbinary. But being butch is essential to that, I guess."

"Do you consider yourself a lesbian?" Glinda said. Though she sounded perfectly sweet and casual, Elphaba detected the question was a test.

"Of course. I'm butch. Which implies I'm woman aligned." Glinda shrugged - what she meant was yes. "But I've never related to womanhood. I relate very specifically to butch experiences. Not trans men. Butch lesbians."

Elphaba looked back at Glinda. Glinda was studying them, and there was something gentle in her expression. They felt a great anticipation for what she was going to say. They'd never really talked about it before. Not in this context.

"You're a butch," Glinda said, as if soothing them. "Not a man."

Elphaba blinked dumbly at her. They felt some tension they hadn't realised they'd been holding melt away. "Yes," they said quietly.

Glinda exhaled tiredly. "I'm sorry for assuming you were a trans man."

"It's fine..."

"I was hoping you were butch, though." She gave them a playful, conspiratory look. "I guess I was sort of testing you. I didn't want to get my hopes up."

"How devious," they chastised her lightly. "I picked up on that."

"I had to be sure." She sat back, and sighed dreamily. "I  _love_  butches. I mean, I love all girls. Women are lovely. But there's something particularly delectable about butches."

Elphaba really hoped they didn't look as hot as they felt. "I see."

"And trust me, you don't need to tell me you're not a man. I know how it works. Being femme is almost as much of a gender identity for me."

Elphaba was very interested to hear more about that, but could only remain flustered and say, "I've read about that..."

"I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable," Glinda said with concern.

"Oh, I'm fine." They took a big bite of their burger. Glinda failed to smother a mirthful smile. "... Wow, this is trash," Elphaba muttered. They'd been too interested in Glinda, and the burger was lukewarm at best.

"Greasy, delicious trash."

Elphaba pointed at it. "Would you like it?"

Glinda looked between them and the burger. "Don't you?"

"Not really." Glinda took the burger immediately. Elphaba laughed.

Glinda peered up at them mid-bite. "I've had a long night," she muttered around her mouthful.

"You're fine," Elphaba said dismissively. "That is a horrible burger, though."

Glinda gestured to indicate she was still chewing but was intending to talk. She covered her mouth as she managed, "I know."

"It's not even hot."

Glinda held what remained of the burger petitely between her index finger and thumb, and levelled them with a look. "Sounds like you should cook me a real burger sometime," she teased, and finished it in one last bite.

Elphaba shrugged. "Sure."

Glinda paused, then brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah." She clapped her hands excitedly. "... Do I have to cook you a burger?"

Galinda considered that. "Not necessarily."

They nodded. "Alright. I'll cook you a meal. We're on."

Galinda leaned forward on her elbows, smiling excitedly. "I can't wait."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This will have more parts coming. And aso drawings. And other stuff. Eventually. When I'm not depressed and dead


End file.
